Method of treating muscle soreness or a soft tissue oedema

Abstract

The present disclosure provides in a method of treating muscle soreness or soft tissue oedema. The method comprises frictionally engaging a contact member of an apparatus with skin portions of a patient. The contact member of the apparatus is arranged to perform a substantially planar orbital motion along the skin portions. The method further comprises applying the substantially planar orbital motion along the skin portions of the patient so that soft tissue adjacent the skin portion is locally moved in a corresponding manner. The movement typically is a non-circular orbital movement having a base frequency and harmonics. The movement of the soft tissue results in a distortion of portions of lymph nodes located within the soft tissue whereby throughput of lymphatic fluid through lymph nodes is enhanced.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention broadly relates to method of treating muscle soreness or a soft tissue oedema.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]It has been previously reported that muscle damage is induced by unaccustomed or strenuous exercise, for example when lengthening muscles or during eccentric contractions and in particular when muscle lengthening and force generation occur simultaneously. Symptoms of muscle damage include delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), which is characterized by stiffness, pain, reduced range of motion, prolonged impairment of muscle function and swelling. The symptoms of DOMS may persist for several days or even weeks after the exercise. The symptoms affect daily activities through loss of mobility and athletic performance.[0003]In some professional circles it is thought that an inflammatory process in muscle repair is the underlying cause of DOMS, but as yet this has been unproven. Difficulty arises in identifying the cause of DOM...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]whereby the movement of the soft tissue results in a distortion of portions of the first and second lymph nodes whereby throughput of lymphatic fluid through the first and second lymph nodes is enhanced.

[0009]The inventor has observed that the application of the substantially planar orbital motion to at least one skin portion of the patient, which results in the increased throughput of lymphatic fluid through lymph vessels and lymph nodes, reduces muscle soreness and / or reduces a time during which a patient may experience muscle soreness.

[0017]whereby throughput of lymphatic fluid through that portion of the lymph system is enhanced.

Problems solved by technology

It has been previously reported that muscle damage is induced by unaccustomed or strenuous exercise, for example when lengthening muscles or during eccentric contractions and in particular when muscle lengthening and force generation occur simultaneously.

Symptoms of muscle damage include delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), which is characterized by stiffness, pain, reduced range of motion, prolonged impairment of muscle function and swelling.

In some professional circles it is thought that an inflammatory process in muscle repair is the underlying cause of DOMS, but as yet this has been unproven.

Difficulty arises in identifying the cause of DOMS due to the complex cascading events that take place during muscle injury.

Previous studies have attempted to qualify the inflammation hypothesis through the intervention and use of non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but the results of these studies are inconclusive.

Many interventions have been tested in the past, but none have offered an effective magnitude of relief that enables a reduction in associated pain symptoms.

Unfortunately only limited success has been reported to date.

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